Rebound

Thirty years worth of listless knockoffs, a
short-lived television series and a pair of
uninspired sequels have obviously done
nothing to diminish the appeal of "The Bad
News Bears," which, by the end of the
summer, will have delivered two more
knockoffs and a remake, all within a matter of
weeks. Wedged inauspiciously between the
soccer-themed Will Ferrell vehicle "Kicking
and Screaming" and preceding the Billy Bob
Thornton "Bears" remake by just 21 days,
Martin Lawrence's "Rebound" is getting no
love in terms of its scheduling. And though the
message-heavy, family-friendly film will
undoubtedly be well-received by those who
bother to see it, it's much too familiar, too
derivative, too formulaic and too predictable to
have much hope of competing in an already
disappointing summer season.

The approach here casts Lawrence as Coach
Roy, a hotshot three-time collegiate champion
whose well of success finally runs dry after
fame, fortune, ego and a tendency toward
temper tantrums push him over the edge. In a
flash, Roy finds himself jobless and banned
from college coaching altogether, with only
one shot at getting his old job back: coaching
the winless misfits at his old junior high. It's a
silly contrivance, of course, but not out-of-step
with the general level of verisimilitude in
comparable Martin Lawrence comedies.

The rest of the film proceeds in predictable
fashion -- Roy fashions the kids into winners,
the kids remind Roy of the things that matter
most in life, and everyone lives happily ever
after. Roy even gets a touch of romance in the
person of his star player's mother (Wendy
Raquel Robinson), a music teacher at the
same school.

Director Steve Carr ("Daddy Day Care")
doesn't exactly take chances here; the jokes
are aimed low, mainly at preteens, with
Lawrence hewing to his usual shtick. But
within its own narrow, self-imposed
parameters, it mostly works, fumbling the
formula only briefly during its extended setup.

Colorful if thankless cameos by recognizable
supporting actors help bolster the effort:
Horatio Sanz as Roy's assistant coach, Megan
Mullally as the school principal, and Patrick
Warburton in a hilarious, scene-stealing turn
as a belligerent rival coach. "Kicking and
Screaming" fans will also recognize one of
that film's lovable losers, Steven Anthony
Lawrence, suiting up here as well.

Beyond the "Bad News Bears" comparisons,
however, "Rebound" speaks to another
budding trend in which increasing numbers of
stars from the '80s and '90s are fast shedding
their raw and raunchy pasts to embrace such
family-friendly fare as "Johnson Family
Vacation," "Are We There Yet," and the
aforementioned "Daddy Day Care," to cite only
a few. It's not an unnatural progression, as
these stars move into their 40s and settle
down with families of their own. It's just
unfortunate that it hasn't exactly been in the
service of better material.
Starring Martin Lawrence, Wendy
Raquel Robinson, Breckin Meyer, Horatio
Sanz and Megan Mullaly. Directed by Steve
Carr. Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
Produced by Robert Simonds. A Fox release.
Comedy. Rated PG for mild language and
thematic elements. Running time: 87 min